600 dead in DR Congo Ebola outbreak
· Medical Xpressedited by Andrew Zinin
Andrew Zinin
Chief Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process
Editors' notes
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
fact-checked
reputable news agency
proofread
The GIST Add as preferred source
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now claimed 600 lives, figures published by the World Health Organization showed Thursday—only three days after the figure topped 500.
Updated numbers issued by the U.N. health agency showed there have been 1,759 confirmed cases in DR Congo since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, including 600 confirmed deaths.
Two other people have died in neighboring Uganda, where 17 patients have recovered out of 20 total confirmed cases.
"The outbreak continues to expand, and its true scale has not yet been fully established," Anne Ancia, the WHO's representative in the DRC, said Tuesday.
The WHO's figures for the DRC, which come from health authorities in the vast country, show that the outbreak there has a case fatality rate of 34%.
A total of 285 patients in the DRC have recovered, while 304 suspected cases of the viral hemorrhagic fever are under investigation.
The outbreak in northeastern DRC has hit four provinces but is focused on Ituri province.
The outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.
The trial of two potential treatments for Bundibugyo began in the DRC on July 2.
The trial is evaluating the effectiveness of the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, alone and in combination.
Ebola spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids.
Outbreak in 'expansion phase'
The DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 after several deaths in mineral-rich Ituri province, which is plagued by armed groups.
"It is still in the expansion phase, unfortunately. We would like to say it is stabilizing, but frankly we cannot say it yet," Ancia told a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday.
"Transmission is still ongoing."
Speaking from Bunia, the capital of Ituri, she said the fight against the outbreak was facing major challenges.
"Population movements, persistent insecurity and the fragility of the health system continue to complicate efforts to bring the outbreak under control," she said.
"Humanitarian needs remain substantial, particularly regarding civilian protection, access to food and essential health services, while other diseases such as malaria and measles continue to spread."
She said there were now around 700 beds across 22 treatment centers, with efforts underway to add 300 more beds.
The centers are operating at around 90% capacity, "placing significant pressure on the response," Ancia said.
More than 10,000 contacts of infected people are being monitored, at a follow-up rate of 82%. The WHO believes a rate of 95% is needed to get on top of the outbreak.
Laboratory capacity has increased from 30 tests per day in the capital, Kinshasa, to more than 2,000 tests daily in decentralized labs in the affected provinces.
The WHO wants $115 million to strengthen its Ebola response, of which 32% has been received to date.
One of the affected provinces is South Kivu, which has seen clashes between the Congolese armed forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group.
U.N. rights chief Volker Turk on Thursday called for an immediate end to the fighting, deploring its impact on civilians and saying there were growing fears that the increased clashes could force further displacement, including into other countries.
Key medical concepts
Clinical categories
Infectious diseasesCommon illnesses & Prevention Who's behind this story?
Andrew Zinin
Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →
© 2026 AFP
Citation: 600 dead in DR Congo Ebola outbreak (2026, July 9) retrieved 9 July 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-dead-dr-congo-ebola-outbreak-1.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.